TRANSPORTATION DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD FOR TRANSPORTATION DEVICE, AND SUBSTRATE WORKING MACHINE

Abstract

To provide a technology that prevents a pair of rails from tilting by simple control without increasing the number of components.SOLUTION: The transport device includes: a width change driving shaft that extends in the width change direction of a pair of rails, is attached to the pair of rails, and is designed to move by its rotation the pair of rails in the width change direction and change the width of the pair of rails; a transport driving shaft that extends in the width change direction and is supported by the pair of rails in a rotatable manner, supporting the pair of rails in a movable manner in the width change direction; a belt; a communication mechanism that is attached to the pair of rails in the width change direction in a relatively non-movable manner and supports the transport driving shaft and rotates as an integrated body with the transport driving shaft, communicating the rotation of the transport driving shaft to the belt; and a control device that controls the width change driving shaft and the transport driving shaft. The control device drives the width change driving shaft and the transport driving shaft in a width change process for changing the width of the pair of rails.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a transport device that transports a workpiece (for example, a substrate), a control method for the transport device, and a substrate processing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conveying device configured to change the width of a pair of rails. In this device, one rail moves relative to the other rail by rotation of a ball screw extending in a direction in which the rail width is changed, thereby changing the width of the pair of rails. This device is also provided with a guide mechanism that extends in the same direction as the ball screw and guides the movement of the pair of rails. When changing the width of the pair of rails, one rail moves by rotation of the ball screw and is guided by sliding on the guide mechanism, thereby suppressing the inclination of one rail relative to the other rail. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-289557 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology of Patent Document 1, for example, depending on the magnitude of the frictional force between the rail and the guide mechanism, the inclination of one of the pair of rails relative to the other (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the inclination of the pair of rails) may not be sufficiently prevented. In addition, by providing multiple guide mechanisms, the inclination of one of the pair of rails relative to the other can be further suppressed, but the number of parts increases and the device configuration becomes complicated. This specification provides a technology that can suppress the inclination of the pair of rails by simple control without increasing the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The conveying device disclosed in this specification is configured to change the width of a pair of rails according to the size of the conveyed object to be conveyed. The conveying device includes a width change drive shaft extending in a width change direction of the pair of rails, attached to at least one of the pair of rails, and configured to change the width of the pair of rails by rotating the width change drive shaft to move at least one of the pair of rails in the width change direction, a conveying drive shaft extending in the width change direction and rotatably supported by the pair of rails while supporting the pair of rails movably in the width change direction, a belt arranged in a direction along the pair of rails and carrying the conveyed object on its upper surface, a transmission mechanism attached to the pair of rails so as not to be relatively movable in the width change direction, holds the conveying drive shaft, rotates together with the conveying drive shaft, and transmits the rotation of the conveying drive shaft to the belt, and a control device for controlling the width change drive shaft and the conveying drive shaft. The conveying object is configured to be conveyed by the belt via the transmission mechanism as the conveying drive shaft rotates. The control device drives both the width changing drive shaft and the conveying drive shaft in a width changing process for changing the width of the pair of rails.

[0006] When the width of the rail is changed in the above-mentioned conveying device, the width change drive shaft side of the rail moves in the width change direction, and the conveying drive shaft side of the rail moves in a driven manner to follow this. Therefore, if the conveying drive shaft side of the rail does not move in a driven manner relative to the width change drive shaft side, tilting of the pair of rails may occur. In this conveying device, in a width change process for changing the width of the pair of rails, the width change drive shaft is driven and the conveying drive shaft is driven. When the conveying drive shaft rotates, the tension applied to the belt in the conveying direction via the transmission mechanism increases. That is, the tension applied in the direction to eliminate the tilt of the rail increases. In addition, the rotation of the conveying drive shaft reduces the frictional force acting between the conveying drive shaft and the transmission mechanism compared to when the conveying drive shaft is not rotating. Therefore, the conveying drive shaft side of the rail (i.e., the driven side) is more likely to follow the movement of the width change drive shaft side of the rail (i.e., the driving side). As a result, the tilt of the pair of rails can be suitably eliminated.

[0007] This specification also discloses a method for controlling the above-mentioned conveying device, the method comprising the step of driving both the width changing drive shaft and the conveying drive shaft in a width changing process for changing the width of the pair of rails. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a component mounter according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one (first portion 112a) of a pair of rotating bodies (first portion 112a and second portion 112b in the embodiment) that constitute a pulley. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the other (second portion 112b) of the pair of rotating bodies that constitute the pulley. [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the operation of a pulley relative to the operation of a conveying drive shaft. [Figure 7] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the operation of a pulley relative to the operation of a conveying drive shaft. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a width change process. [Figure 9] 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining forces acting on a pulley in a width changing process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The main features of the embodiment described below are listed below. Note that the technical elements described below are independent technical elements that exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present technology, the control device may drive the conveying drive shaft and the width changing drive shaft simultaneously in the width changing process.

[0011] In this configuration, when the width changing drive shaft is driven, the conveying drive shaft is driven, and the conveying device operates to immediately eliminate the tilt that occurs during the width changing process, so that the tilt of the pair of rails can be further suppressed. Also, by driving the width changing drive shaft and the conveying drive shaft simultaneously, the time required for the width changing process can be shortened.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present technology, the transmission mechanism may be configured so that the force holding the conveying drive shaft when the conveying drive shaft is rotating is smaller than the force holding the conveying drive shaft when the conveying drive shaft is not rotating.

[0013] In such a configuration, by rotating the conveying drive shaft, the frictional force acting between the transmission mechanism and the conveying drive shaft is reduced, so that the driven side of the rail can more easily follow the movement of the driving side of the rail.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present technology, the width changing drive shaft may be provided at one end of the pair of rails in the conveying direction, and the conveying drive shaft may be provided at the other end of the pair of rails in the conveying direction.

[0015] In this configuration, the angle of inclination of the rail relative to the distance traveled by the rail width change drive shaft in the width change direction can be made small, making it easy to eliminate the inclination of the rail.

[0016] This specification also discloses a board working machine that includes the above-mentioned transport device and performs a predetermined operation on a transported circuit board. In this board working machine, at least one of the pair of rails may be provided with a mark for aligning the pair of rails. The board working machine may include an imaging device that images the mark. After performing the width changing process and before the circuit board is transported by the transport device, the control device may determine the width of the pair of rails based on the position of the mark imaged by the imaging device.

[0017] In this board working machine, after the width change process is performed and before the conveying device conveys the circuit board, the image capturing device captures an image of the mark, and it is determined whether the pair of rails is tilted or not based on the position of the mark. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the circuit board from being conveyed with the pair of rails tilted. Furthermore, when it is determined that the pair of rails is tilted, the tilt of the pair of rails can be adjusted to eliminate the tilt of the pair of rails.

[0018] (Example) Hereinafter, a transfer device 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The transfer device 100 is a device for transferring a board. As shown in FIG. 1 etc., the transfer device 100 is provided in a component mounter 10. The component mounter 10 is also called a surface mounter or a chip mounter. Usually, the component mounter 10 is installed together with other board work machines such as a solder printer and a board inspection machine to form a series of mounting lines.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the component mounter 10 includes a component feeder 12, a feeder holding section 14, a head 16, a head moving mechanism 19, an imaging unit 22, a part camera 23, a nozzle accommodating section 24, a nozzle holder 26, a touch panel 30, a control device 32, and a conveying device 100.

[0020] Each component feeder 12 stores a plurality of components 4. The component feeders 12 are removably attached to a feeder holder 14 and supply the components 4 to the head 16. The configuration of the component feeders 12 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a tape feeder that stores a plurality of components 4 on a wound tape, a tray feeder that stores a plurality of components 4 on a tray, or a bulk feeder that stores a plurality of components 4 randomly in a container.

[0021] Feeder holding unit 14 has a plurality of slots, and component feeders 12 are removably installed in each of the plurality of slots. Feeder holding unit 14 may be fixed to component mounter 10, or may be detachable from component mounter 10.

[0022] The head 16 is configured so that the nozzle 6 for suctioning the component 4 can be attached and detached. The head 16 is fixed to a moving base 17. The head 16 is equipped with an actuator (not shown) for moving the attached nozzle 6 in the Z direction (i.e., the vertical direction) and moves the nozzle 6 closer to and away from the component feeder 12 and the circuit board 2. For example, the head 16 can use the nozzle 6 to pick up the component 4 from the component feeder 12 and mount the component 4 picked up by the nozzle 6 on the circuit board 2. Note that the head 16 is not limited to a configuration in which a single nozzle 6 can be attached and detached, and may be configured so that multiple nozzles 6 can be attached and detached.

[0023] The head moving mechanism 19 is a robot that moves the moving base 17 in the X and Y directions (i.e., horizontally). The head moving mechanism 19 is composed of a guide rail that guides the moving base 17, an actuator that moves the moving base 17 along the guide rail, etc. The head moving mechanism 19 is disposed above the component feeders 12 and the transport device 100.

[0024] The conveying device 100 carries in, supports, and carries out the circuit board 2. The conveying device 100 conveys the circuit board 2 in the X direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the conveying device 100 includes a pair of rails 101a, 101b, a width changing drive shaft 102, a conveying drive shaft 104, a pair of belts 110, a pair of pulleys 112, and a support device (not shown) that supports the circuit board 2 from below.

[0025] The rail 101a is provided on the feeder holding unit 14 side. The rail 101b is provided on the opposite side of the rail 101a from the feeder holding unit 14. The rail 101b is configured to be movable relative to the rail 101a in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the circuit board 2 (i.e., the X direction) (i.e., the Y direction, hereinafter referred to as the width change direction) when viewed in a plan view. Specifically, the rail 101b is supported by a width change drive shaft 102 described later, and moves in the Y direction with the rotation of the width change drive shaft 102. That is, the rail 101b is configured to be able to change the width between the pair of rails 101a and 101b by moving relative to the rail 101a. This allows the conveying device 100 to convey circuit boards 2 of various dimensions. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the rail 101b is provided with an alignment mark 50. The alignment mark 50 may be provided within a range that can be imaged by a camera 22b described later. The alignment mark 50 is an example of a "mark."

[0026] The width-changing drive shaft 102 extends in the width-changing direction (i.e., Y direction) of the pair of rails 101a, 101b. The width-changing drive shaft 102 is provided at the end (the end in the positive direction of the X axis) of the pair of rails 101a, 101b in the conveying direction (i.e., X direction). Although not shown, both ends of the width-changing drive shaft 102 are rotatably supported on the base of the conveying device 100. In this embodiment, the width-changing drive shaft 102 is a ball screw. A motor (not shown) is provided at one end of the width-changing drive shaft 102, and the width-changing drive shaft 102 rotates when driven by the motor. The width-changing drive shaft 102 penetrates the pair of rails 101a, 101b. However, the width-changing drive shaft 102 engages with the rail 101b via a member (not shown) that screws into the ball screw, but does not engage with the rail 101a. Therefore, when the width changing drive shaft 102 is rotated by the motor, only the rail 101b moves in the width changing direction (i.e., the Y direction) in accordance with the rotation of the width changing drive shaft 102. As a result, the rail 101b moves relative to the rail 101a in the Y direction, changing the width of the pair of rails 101a, 101b.

[0027] The conveying drive shaft 104 extends in the width changing direction (i.e., the Y direction). The conveying drive shaft 104 is provided at the ends (ends in the negative direction of the X axis) of the pair of rails 101a and 101b in the conveying direction. Although not shown, both ends of the conveying drive shaft 104 are also rotatably supported on the base of the conveying device 100. A motor (not shown) is provided at one end of the conveying drive shaft 104, and the conveying drive shaft 104 rotates when driven by the motor. The conveying drive shaft 104 also penetrates the pair of rails 101a and 101b. However, the conveying drive shaft 104 is not engaged with either of the rails 101a and 101b, and the movement (motion) of the conveying drive shaft 104 relative to the rails 101a and 101b is not restricted. Therefore, the conveying drive shaft 104 is freely rotatable relative to the rails 101a and 101b, and supports the rail 101b so as to be movable in the width changing direction.

[0028] Each of the pair of pulleys 112 is rotatably fixed to each of the pair of rails 101a, 101b. That is, each pulley 112 is attached so as to be immovable relative to each of the rails 101a, 101b in the width change direction. As shown in Fig. 3, each pulley 112 holds the conveyor drive shaft 104 and rotates integrally with the conveyor drive shaft 104. The pulley 112 is an example of a "transmission mechanism."

[0029] The pair of belts 110 transport the circuit board 2 with the circuit board 2 placed on the upper surface thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, each belt 110 is stretched between a pulley 112 and a rotating member (a driven pulley, not shown) that is provided on the width changing drive shaft 102 side and has a shape substantially similar to that of the pulley 112. When the motor of the transport drive shaft 104 is driven, the transport drive shaft 104 rotates, and the pulley 112 (drive pulley) rotates. As shown in FIG. 3, the pulley 112 transmits the rotation of the transport drive shaft 104 to the belt 110, so that the belt 110 is rotated between the pulley 112 and the rotating member.

[0030] Here, the configuration of the pulley 112 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the pulley 112 has a first portion 112a and a second portion 112b. FIG. 4 shows the back surface of the first portion 112a (i.e., the back surface of the front side portion of the pulley 112 in FIG. 3), and FIG. 5 shows the front surface of the second portion 112b (i.e., the state in which the first portion 112a is removed in FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 4, the first portion 112a has a substantially circular plate shape, and a through hole 116 is provided at its center. In this embodiment, the through hole 116 is substantially hexagonal. In addition, four protrusions 114 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the back surface of the first portion 112a. As shown in FIG. 5, the second portion 112b has a substantially circular plate shape, and a through hole 122 similar to the through hole 116 of the first portion 112a is provided at its center. Further, four recesses 118 extending in the circumferential direction are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the surface of the second portion 112b. The recesses 118 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. One end (the end in the clockwise direction) of each recess 118 is provided with a coil spring 120. The pulley 112 is configured by engaging the first portion 112a and the second portion 112b with an engaging portion (not shown). The second portion 112b is divided into a portion (outer peripheral portion) where the recesses 118 are provided and a portion (inner peripheral portion) where the through holes 116 are provided, and the portion where the recesses 118 are provided is rotatably assembled to the portion where the through holes 116 are provided.

[0031] FIG. 6 shows a state in which the first part 112a and the second part 112b are assembled. As shown in FIG. 6, when the first part 112a and the second part 112b are engaged with each other, each of the convex parts 114 of the first part 112a is accommodated in each of the concave parts 118 of the second part 112b. In a state in which no external force is applied to the pulley 112 (i.e., the state shown in FIG. 6), each of the convex parts 114 is configured to be located on the opposite side (the end in the counterclockwise direction) from the coil spring 120 in each of the concave parts 118. In addition, in a state in which no external force is applied to the pulley 112, the through hole 116 of the first part 112a and the through hole 122 of the second part 112b are configured (biased) to be shifted by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction in a plan view. 3, when the conveying drive shaft 104 is inserted through the through holes 116, 122 of the pulley 112, the conveying drive shaft 104 is sandwiched between the through holes 116, 122. In other words, when the conveying drive shaft 104 is not rotating, the force with which the pulley 112 holds the conveying drive shaft 104 is relatively large. As a result, the conveying drive shaft 104 is stably supported by the pulley 112, and rattling between the conveying drive shaft 104 and the pulley 112 is suppressed when the components 4 are mounted on the conveyed circuit board 2.

[0032] FIG. 7 shows a state in which the conveying drive shaft 104 rotates clockwise as indicated by an arrow 140. As indicated by FIG. 7, when the conveying drive shaft 104 rotates, first, the first portion 112a rotates relatively to the second portion 112b (specifically, the outer peripheral side portion of the second portion 112b) in the direction of the arrow 140. Then, each of the convex portions 114 of the first portion 112a moves within each of the concave portions 118 of the second portion 112b to compress the coil spring 120. The pulley 112 is configured such that, when the coil spring 120 is compressed by the convex portion 114, the force of sandwiching the conveying drive shaft 104 between the first portion 112a and the second portion 112b is cancelled out in a plan view. Therefore, when the conveying drive shaft 104 is rotating, the conveying drive shaft 104 is not pinched between the through holes 116, 122, and the force with which the pulley 112 holds the conveying drive shaft 104 is smaller than in the state shown in FIG.

[0033] The imaging unit 22 is attached to the movable base 17. Therefore, when the head 16 moves, the imaging unit 22 also moves therewith. The imaging unit 22 includes a camera support part 22a and a camera 22b. The camera 22b is disposed on the side of the head 16. The camera 22b is disposed so that the imaging optical axis faces downward. The camera 22b captures images of the alignment marks provided on the circuit board 2 and the alignment marks 50 provided on the rail 101b. The camera 22b is an example of an "imaging device".

[0034] Part camera 23 is disposed between component feeder 12 and conveying device 100. Part camera 23 is disposed so that its imaging optical axis faces upward. Part camera 23 captures an image of the underside of component 4 adsorbed to nozzle 6. This allows control device 32 to grasp the posture of component 4 adsorbed to nozzle 6.

[0035] The nozzle accommodating section 24 is disposed between the component feeder 12 and the conveying device 100. The nozzle accommodating section 24 can accommodate a plurality of nozzles 6, and transfers the nozzles 6 between the head 16. In detail, each nozzle 6 is accommodated in a nozzle holder 26 attached to the nozzle accommodating section 24. The nozzle holder 26 can accommodate a plurality of types of nozzles 6. The nozzle holder 26 is detachable from the nozzle accommodating section 24, and is removed from the nozzle accommodating section 24, for example, when replacing the nozzle 6 in the nozzle holder 26.

[0036] The touch panel 30 is a display device that provides various information to the worker, and also a user interface that receives instructions and information from the worker.

[0037] The control device 32 is configured by a computer having a CPU, RAM, and ROM. The control device 32 is communicably connected to each of the component feeders 12, the feeder holding section 14, the head 16, the moving base 17, the transport device 100, the imaging unit 22, the part camera 23, the nozzle housing section 24, the nozzle holder 26, and the touch panel 30. The control device 32 controls each of these sections to execute a process of mounting the components 4 on the circuit board 2, a process of changing the width of the pair of rails 101a, 101b (hereinafter referred to as a width changing process), and the like.

[0038] Next, the width changing process of the pair of rails 101a, 101b will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 8 and 9. As described above, the transport device 100 needs to adjust the width of the rails 101a, 101b depending on the type of circuit board 2 to be produced. In the example described below, a case where the width of the pair of rails 101a, 101b is enlarged will be described.

[0039] First, the control device 32 drives the motor of the width changing drive shaft 102 to rotate the width changing drive shaft 102. By rotating the width changing drive shaft 102, the control device 32 controls the rail 101b to move a predetermined distance relative to the rail 101a as shown by an arrow 150 in FIG. 8, so that the width of the rails 101a and 101b on the width changing drive shaft 102 becomes a desired value. When the width changing drive shaft 102 is rotated, as shown in FIG. 8, first, the width changing drive shaft 102 side of the rail 101b (i.e., the driving side) moves, and then the pulley 112 slides on the conveying drive shaft 104, so that the conveying drive shaft 104 side of the rail 101b (i.e., the driven side) follows the movement integrally with the pulley 112. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, a force mainly indicated by arrows A to D (A to D') acts on the pulley 112 that holds the conveying drive shaft 104. In FIG. 9A, arrow A indicates the force pulling pulley 112 against the movement of the main drive side of rail 101b, arrows B and B' indicate the tension applied to pulley 112 from belt 110 stretched around pulley 112, arrows C and C' indicate the width change direction component of arrows B and B' (the tension applied to pulley 112), and arrows D and D' indicate the friction force acting between pulley 112 and conveying drive shaft 104.

[0040] FIG. 9A shows a state in which the conveying drive shaft 104 is not rotating in the width change process. In the state of FIG. 9A, as described above, the pulley 112 holds the conveying drive shaft 104 in a sandwiched manner (see FIG. 6), so the frictional force (arrow D) acting between the pulley 112 and the conveying drive shaft 104 is large. In addition, since the conveying drive shaft 104 is not rotating, the belt 110 is bent. Therefore, the tension (arrow B) applied from the belt 110 to the pulley 112 is small. Therefore, the sum of the magnitudes of the forces indicated by the arrows A and C may be smaller than the frictional force indicated by the arrow D. In such a case, the pulley 112 cannot slide on the conveying drive shaft 104, and the driven side of the rail 101b has difficulty following the movement of the driven side. As a result, the rail 101b may be tilted.

[0041] In this embodiment, the control device 32 drives both the width change drive shaft 102 and the conveying drive shaft 104 in the width change process. FIG. 9B shows such a state. In the state of FIG. 9B, as described above, the force of the pulley 112 pinching the conveying drive shaft 104 is canceled. Therefore, the force of the pulley 112 holding the conveying drive shaft 104 is small, and the frictional force (arrow D') acting between the pulley 112 and the conveying drive shaft 104 decreases. In addition, the belt 110 is released from the flexure of the conveying drive shaft 104 by rotating the conveying drive shaft 104, so that the tension (arrow B') applied from the belt 110 to the pulley 112 increases. As a result, the sum of the magnitudes of the forces indicated by the arrows A and C' tends to be larger than the frictional force indicated by the arrow D'. Therefore, the pulley 112 tends to slide on the conveying drive shaft 104, and the driven side of the rail 101b tends to follow the movement of the driven side as indicated by the arrow 152. Therefore, the inclination of the rail 101b is eliminated, and the inclination of the rail 101b can be suitably suppressed. Driving both the width change drive shaft 102 and the conveying drive shaft 104 includes a mode in which the shafts 102 and 104 are driven separately and a mode in which they are driven simultaneously. That is, in the width change process, the control device 32 may drive the width change drive shaft 102 and the conveying drive shaft 104 simultaneously. In this way, the inclination occurring in the rail 101b during the width change process can be immediately eliminated, and the inclination of the rail 101b can be further suppressed. In addition, the time required for the width change process can be shortened, for example, compared to a case in which the conveying drive shaft 104 is driven after the width change drive shaft 102 is driven (i.e., after the width of the rail 101b on the width change drive shaft 102 is controlled to a desired value).

[0042] After executing the width changing process described above, the control device 32 causes the imaging unit 22 to capture an image of the alignment mark 50. Then, the control device 32 determines whether the width of the pair of rails 101a, 101b has been changed accurately based on the position of the alignment mark 50. If there is a deviation in the width of the pair of rails 101a, 101b, the control device 32 performs fine adjustment. The control device 32 changes the width of the pair of rails 101a, 101b by executing the process described above.

[0043] As described above, in this embodiment, in the width change process, the width change drive shaft 102 is driven and the conveying drive shaft 104 is driven. When the conveying drive shaft 104 rotates, the tension applied to the belt 110 in the conveying direction via the pulley 112 increases. That is, as shown in FIG. 9B, the tension applied in the direction to eliminate the inclination of the rail 101b (width change direction) increases. In addition, by rotating the conveying drive shaft 104, the friction force acting between the conveying drive shaft 104 and the pulley 112 decreases compared to when the conveying drive shaft 104 is not rotating. Therefore, as shown by the arrow 152, the driven side of the rail 101b is more likely to follow the movement of the driven side. As a result, the inclination of the pair of rails 101a and 101b can be preferably eliminated.

[0044] In this embodiment, the force with which the pulley 112 holds the conveying drive shaft 104 changes depending on whether the conveying drive shaft 104 is rotating. Specifically, the holding force when the conveying drive shaft 104 is rotating is smaller than the holding force when the conveying drive shaft 104 is not rotating. Therefore, by rotating the conveying drive shaft 104, the frictional force acting between the conveying drive shaft 104 and the pulley 112 is reduced, and the inclination of the rail 101b can be more suitably eliminated. Note that the force with which the pulley 112 holds the conveying drive shaft 104 does not have to change depending on whether the conveying drive shaft 104 is rotating. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the conveying drive shaft 104 and the shapes of the through holes 116 and 122 of the pulley 112 are not particularly limited. For example, any shape that can transmit the rotation of the conveying drive shaft 104 to the belt 110, such as a substantially triangular or substantially rectangular shape, may be used.

[0045] In this embodiment, the width changing drive shaft 102 and the transport drive shaft 104 are provided at both ends of the pair of rails 101a, 101b, respectively, so that the inclination angle of the rail 101b with respect to the moving distance of the main drive side of the rail 101b can be made small. The width changing drive shaft 102 and the transport drive shaft 104 may be provided at any position in the transport direction (X direction).

[0046] In the above embodiment, the case where the width of the pair of rails 101a, 101b is increased has been described, but the same can be said for the case where the width of the pair of rails 101a, 101b is decreased. That is, by driving both the width changing drive shaft 102 and the conveying drive shaft 104, the inclination of the pair of rails 101a, 101b can be suitably suppressed.

[0047] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the transport device 100 is provided in the component mounter 10 has been described, but the transport device 100 disclosed in this specification may be provided in other board work machines, such as a printing device that prints solder on the circuit board 2, or a board inspection machine that inspects the state of the circuit board 2. In addition, the object transported by the transport device 100 is not limited to the circuit board 2, and may be any object that can be transported by a pair of rails.

[0048] The technical elements described in this specification or drawings have technical utility either alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of these objectives is itself technically useful. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10: Component mounting machine 22: Imaging unit 32: Control device 50: Alignment mark 100: Transport device 101a: Rail 101b: Rail 102: Width changing drive shaft 104: Transport drive shaft 110: Belt 112: Pulley

Claims

1. A conveying device configured so that the width of a pair of rails can be changed according to the size of the object to be conveyed, a width changing drive shaft extending in a width changing direction of the pair of rails, attached to at least one of the pair of rails, and configured to be able to change the width of the pair of rails by moving the at least one of the pair of rails in the width changing direction by rotating the width changing drive shaft; a conveying drive shaft extending in the width changing direction, rotatably supported by the pair of rails, and supporting the pair of rails movably in the width changing direction; a belt arranged in a direction along the pair of rails and having an upper surface on which the transported object is placed; a transmission mechanism that is attached to the pair of rails so as not to be movable relative to the width changing direction, holds the conveying drive shaft, and rotates integrally with the conveying drive shaft to transmit the rotation of the conveying drive shaft to the belt; A control device for controlling the width changing drive shaft and the conveying drive shaft; Equipped with the transported object is transported by the belt through the transmission mechanism as the transport drive shaft rotates, the transmission mechanism is configured such that a force that holds the conveying drive shaft when the conveying drive shaft is rotating is smaller than a force that holds the conveying drive shaft when the conveying drive shaft is not rotating, In a width changing process for changing the width of the pair of rails, the control device drives the width changing drive shaft and the conveying drive shaft simultaneously, or drives the width changing drive shaft and then drives the conveying drive shaft. Conveying device.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the control device drives the conveying drive shaft and the width changing drive shaft simultaneously in the width changing process.

3. the width changing drive shaft is provided at one end of the pair of rails in the conveying direction, 3. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying drive shaft is provided at the other end of the pair of rails in the conveying direction.

4. A method for controlling a conveying device in which the width of a pair of rails is changeable in accordance with the size of an object to be conveyed, comprising the steps of: the conveying device includes a width changing drive shaft extending in a width changing direction of the pair of rails and attached to at least one of the pair of rails, the width changing drive shaft being configured to be able to change the width of the pair of rails by rotating the width changing drive shaft, a conveying drive shaft extending in the width changing direction and rotatably supported by the pair of rails while supporting the pair of rails movably in the width changing direction, a belt arranged in a direction along the pair of rails and on whose upper surface the conveyed object is placed, and a transmission mechanism attached so as to be immovable relative to the pair of rails in the width changing direction, holds the conveying drive shaft, and rotates integrally with the conveying drive shaft to transmit the rotation of the conveying drive shaft to the belt, the transmission mechanism is configured such that a force that holds the conveying drive shaft when the conveying drive shaft is rotating is smaller than a force that holds the conveying drive shaft when the conveying drive shaft is not rotating, The control method includes a step of simultaneously driving the width change drive shaft and the conveying drive shaft in a width change process for changing the width of the pair of rails, or a step of driving the width change drive shaft and then driving the conveying drive shaft. Control methods.

5. A circuit board operating machine including a conveying device configured to change the width of a pair of rails in accordance with the size of an object to be conveyed, and which performs a predetermined operation on the conveyed circuit board, The conveying device is a width changing drive shaft extending in a width changing direction of the pair of rails, attached to at least one of the pair of rails, and configured to be able to change the width of the pair of rails by moving the at least one of the pair of rails in the width changing direction by rotating the width changing drive shaft; a conveying drive shaft extending in the width changing direction, rotatably supported by the pair of rails, and supporting the pair of rails movably in the width changing direction; a belt arranged in a direction along the pair of rails and having an upper surface on which the transported object is placed; a transmission mechanism that is attached to the pair of rails so as not to be movable relative to the width changing direction, holds the conveying drive shaft, and rotates integrally with the conveying drive shaft to transmit the rotation of the conveying drive shaft to the belt; A control device for controlling the width changing drive shaft and the conveying drive shaft; Equipped with the transported object is transported by the belt through the transmission mechanism as the transport drive shaft rotates, the transmission mechanism is configured such that a force that holds the conveying drive shaft when the conveying drive shaft is rotating is smaller than a force that holds the conveying drive shaft when the conveying drive shaft is not rotating, In a width changing process for changing the width of the pair of rails, the control device drives the width changing drive shaft and the conveying drive shaft simultaneously, or drives the width changing drive shaft and then drives the conveying drive shaft. Circuit board work machine.

6. a mark for aligning the pair of rails is provided on at least one of the pair of rails; The substrate processing machine includes an imaging device for imaging the mark, The circuit board working machine of claim 5, wherein the control device determines the width of the pair of rails based on the position of the mark imaged by the imaging device after performing the width change process and before the circuit board is transported by the transport device.

Images